(Reuters) - Manchester United greats Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes will kick-start plans by Vietnam to secure World Cup qualification for the cream of the country's next generation of players.
The pair, who between them made close to 1,500 first team appearances for United across three decades, are joining the PVF Academy, opened on Monday and the focal point of efforts to reach the 2030 tournament.
Under a two-year deal as director of football, Giggs will be responsible for training players and local coaches and make several visits to the academy outside Hanoi, sports agency Redstrike said in a statement.
Scholes, who played 499 times for his home town club, will work as a consultant alongside eight full-time staff.
Giggs won 13 Premier League titles and made a record 963 appearances for United before managing them for four games following the sacking of David Moyes in 2014.
The Welshman, who also worked as assistant manager at United under Louis van Gaal, said in October he was interested in the vacant managerial position at Everton, who have yet to announce a permanent replacement for Ronald Koeman.
Vietnam currently stand 121st in the FIFA world ranking.
(Reporting by Hardik Vyas in Bengaluru; editing by John Stonestreet)
